It is always something special for a youngster to learn how to ride a bike without the training wheels. It is a small mountain to overcome around the ages of 4 to six. Sawyer saw one of his buddies (who is a few months younger than he is) riding his training wheel-less bike down the road and decided that he could do that too. We picked an afternoon and I laid ot some "ground rules".
1. It is important to keep trying. He was going to fall multiple times so he needed to remember that it would take some time.
2. If during one of those falls he scraped himself, he would be tough and I would take care of him, and we would refer back to rule #1.
3. Just keep pedaling.
At first I just raised the training wheels up about six inches from the ground. After a few runs up and down the street I removed them completely. then while holding the back of the seat, I ran with him and then let go while continuing to run beside him. We went back and forth many times up and down the street this way an when I was completely out of breath from running so much I sent him on his own. It didn't take him lovng and he is now officially a big bike rider!
Speaking of mountains we also created one of our very own. They FINALLY started digging our basement for our home and all the dirt got piled on to the lot next door. I hadn't figured that the dirt and rock would expand as it is dug out of the ground. Consequently. our large crater created an even larger mountain. People from all around the neighborhood take a detour into our culdesac to gawk at the ridiculous heap and black hole.
